Only Here to Watch
by Pinkqueen
Summary: Early Season 4 Beckett has mostly recovered, but the new captain has her on desk duty, just to be safe. It's an average day at the precinct, and the team has a new case. But what happens when the Captain's old friend comes to "observe" Castle and Beckett
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hey! This is Ch. 1 of my first multi-chapter fic. :) As of today, 7/5/11, there are 76 days left until Season 4. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Castle, but Captain Williams, Dr. Auburn, and anything pertaining to the case they're working is all me. Enjoy!**

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><p>Detective Kate Beckett woke up early that morning, still very tired. She felt like she didn't sleep at all last night. The temperature in her room was stifling, the AC must be out. Again. She'd have to have a serious talk with her landlord. Figuring she probably wouldn't be getting back to sleep anytime soon, she climbed out of bed and shuffled over to her closet to get dressed for another exciting day of desk duty.<p>

Once dressed in a light blue dress shirt, black slacks, and her favorite power heels, she headed into the bathroom to finish getting ready. How did she get stuck with desk duty? She was fully recovered from the…"accident" a few months ago. Pain seared through her right shoulder, causing her to drop the tube of lipstick in her hand. Make that _almost_ fully recovered. She grabbed a pill bottle from her medicine cabinet and downed two of the small capsules inside.

Captain Williams only arrived last month and the second she walked in the door, she practically chained the detective to her desk. Like a dog on a leash. Granted, she is the new captain, and what she says goes, but Kate was one of the best. She survived when her apartment blew up while she was in it; she's looked death in the eye and spit on its shoes. Now she's stuck doing paperwork all day, every day, only getting the occasional interrogation break. It sucks.

Finished in the bathroom, she went to her kitchen to whip up a quick cup of coffee. No such luck. Her phone rang from inside the bedroom and she rushed to get it before it went to the machine. The caller ID read Esposito. She picked up. "Beckett."

"Yo, boss. We got a body, 31st and 5th," the detective replied on the other end. "Think you can make it?"

She knew he couldn't see her, but she rolled her eyes. "I'll be fine," she defended. "Need me to call Castle?" She went back into her living room to grab her gun holster and badge.

"That'd be great. See you there." He hung up. She holstered her gun and clipped her badge on her waistband before putting on her father's watch and her mother's ring necklace. She pulled her phone back out and pressed speed dial 2. It rang a few times before he picked up.

"Hello?" Castle answered groggily. She must have woken him up. It _was_ kind of early, even for her.

"Morning, Sleeping Beauty," she quipped, while walking out the door, "rise and shine. A body dropped."

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Beckett stepped onto the elevator in the lobby and pressed 7. Castle didn't show at the crime scene. Guess it was too early for him, she thought. Tally up another reason for why this day sucks. She was seriously caffeine deprived. She really needed the fancy coffee he insisted on bringing her every morning.

The elevator bell dinged, signaling she had reached her floor. As she stepped off, she noticed a woman in a crisp, dark navy pinstriped blazer and skirt with a light pink shirt underneath sitting in a chair against the wall about halfway between hers and Ryan and Esposito's desks. Her slightly wavy dirty-blonde hair was pulled back into a tight ponytail. She had a moleskine notebook in her lap, much like Castle's, only hers appeared to be a dark purple, and she was writing furiously in pink pen. She wasn't overly pale, but not exactly tan and she wore little makeup. What really struck Beckett as odd though, was that her dark brown eyes were trained on the detective, as if she was studying her.

She met the woman's gaze for a moment, before looking away and settling in for a long day at her desk. She logged onto her computer and began to type a report, accepting the woman's presence as if recognizing there was a walrus on the front lawn but not understanding why. A few minutes later, the elevator bell rang again, this time carrying Castle and, thank God, her coffee.

Castle, who was never very subtle, noticed the woman too, and was just as confused as she was. He, however, slowed down and gained a very confused look on his face. It was almost cute. Woah, Kate. Quit thinking like that. He quickly looked over at her, and she took a moment to realize he was silently asking her who that woman was. She shrugged and he quickly took "his" seat by her desk.

"You're sure you don't know her?" he asked her quietly, setting her coffee by her keyboard. "Cause she _really_ looks like the type of person you might like to hang out with."

She quickly took a sip of coffee and felt the vanilla she liked in it overwhelm her senses. She had to suppress a moan as she felt the hot, caffeinated liquid slide down her throat. " You saying my friends are boring, Castle? Because I seem to recall you liking my friend Madison an awful lot."

At that moment, Captain Williams stepped out of her office and looked over at the pair. "Good, you're both here, there's someone I'd like you to meet." She looked over at the woman in the chair. "Melissa, could you come over here please?" The woman stood, closed her notebook, tucking her pen in the spine, and walked over to where the three now stood. "Melissa, this is Detective Beckett and Mr. Castle. Beckett, Castle, this is an old friend of mine, Dr. Melissa Auburn, MSW."

Melissa held out her hand for the two of them to shake. "It's a pleasure to meet you both, I've heard wonderful things about you from Joyce. Or, I suppose it's Captain Williams now." This was the first time they heard the woman speak. She had a relatively low voice, but it had a certain lightness to it. "Mr. Castle," she said while shaking his hand, "big fan of your work, but, why'd you kill Derek Storm?"

He released her hand. "You know, I get asked that a lot, and-" he paused, "wait, MSW? Master of Social Work. You're a psychologist." He looked around at the three women. "If you don't mind my asking, why are you here?"

"Very impressive, Mr. Castle, you've done your homework," the doctor replied. "And, no, I don't mind. Captain Williams was slightly skeptical of your significance in the precinct, so she called me in to observe your relationship with Beckett."

"Um, Dr. Auburn? We," Beckett said, stepping back in the conversation and gesturing between herself and Castle, "don't _have_ a relationship." Castle barely managed to suppress a smile at Dr. Auburn's bluntness, but not before she saw.

Dr. Auburn smirked and raised an eyebrow. She clicked her pen and opened her notebook, writing a few more things before replacing her pen. "Very interesting reaction, Detective. I was actually referring to your _working_ relationship," she regained her composure. "Interesting, though, how you jumped right to a romantic level. Do you often find yourself defending your lack of a deeper relationship with Mr. Castle?"

Captain Williams, who had been watching all this go down, retreated into her office lightly chuckling and muttering 'this is going to be fun'. Beckett was staring open-mouthed at the doctor. Castle, however was very entertained. "Oh, she's good," he whispered.

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><p><strong>I have to give credit to <em>Heat Wave<em> for the sentence about the walrus on the front lawn bit. It was too good to pass up. I legit laugh every time I read that line.**

**Be sure to review, constructive critisim is always welcome.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hello again! Ok, I got seriously bored today. It took me 5 hours to write this chapter, and I think it turned out pretty well. I'm still kind of confused by the concept of betas, so any and all mistakes are mine.**

**Disclaimer: Needless to say, I don't own Castle. If I did, I would be on it. :)**

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><p>Dr. Auburn decided to begin with Beckett. The two women walked into a nearby conference room and sat across from each other. The doctor pulled out her notebook and pen and wrote the time. She looked up from her writing to look up at the detective. "So, what's been going on in your life lately?" She asked, pen poised, ready to write. "I realize you had a bit of an accident a few months back, correct?"Kate nodded. "Ok, you said you've fully recovered? Already?"<p>

She nodded again, but as she did so, another painful spasm struck at just the wrong time, this time through her left shoulder. She reached into her pocket and grabbed a pill box. She downed two more pills with the remnants of the coffee Castle brought her. "Yes, my physical recovery is still a little shaky, but I've fully recovered emotionally. No mental breakdowns, no nightmares, nothing. Can we please move on?"

"By all means. Now," the doctor started, still writing from her last entry, "you still haven't answered my first question. What's going on? Anything major?" She needed to gain an entry point into the detective's mind, but she was very well guarded. This was going to take a while.

Kate thought for a while, wondering which card to show. "My boyfriend and I broke up about a week ago." She stated, putting on her best poker face. "We had conflicting schedules, among other things." Like the fact that I love someone else. Stop it! You don't love him!

Dr. Auburn snapped her out of her mental argument. "Hello? Earth to Beckett? What was his name?"

"Irrelevant," she snapped back. "You said you were here to see if Castle is useful? Well he is. Thanks to him, we are where we are today in my mo- a cold case I'm working. Don't tell him I said that though, we wouldn't want his ego to get any bigger." She neglected mentioning her mother's case. No sense in opening up that can of worms just yet. "He's my partner and my friend. I trust him."

She wrote more in her notebook before asking, "So you're saying you like having Castle around?" She looked up to gauge her reaction. It was a good one. Surprise flashed across her face before she put her poker face back on. Her eyes told an entirely different story, though.

Before she could identify the emotions in her eyes, the detective stood up. "This session is _over_," she demanded, before quickly walking over to the door. Just when she had her hand on the handle, she heard the doctor's voice behind her.

"Detective, would you mind asking Castle to come in here please? Thanks." She was writing at the speed of light in that notebook of hers, but she paused and looked up for a moment. "And just so you know, I'm not going anywhere. I've been given permission to stay as long as I want, and I _will_ take advantage of that offer if need be. Keep that in mind for the next time we meet." She began writing again.

Beckett threw the door open and stormed out of the room, practically leaving a trail of flames in her wake. Castle was at _her_ desk in _her _chair, playing on his phone. He must not have heard her coming because he practically jumped three feet in the air when she slammed a file down on her desk. He quickly put his phone away and got out of her chair. "The shrink's waiting in Conference Room A. Go." He got out of there as fast as he could.

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><p>Tap-tap-tap-tap. "Stop." Tap-tap-tap-tap. "I mean it." Tap-tap-tap-tap. "Cut it out." Tap-tap-tap-tap. "STOP THAT!" The doctor was <em>this close<em> to finishing her final statement on her (certainly interesting) session with Detective Beckett. "How many times do I have to tell you? Quit tapping your fingers!"

"Well, I'm very impatient," Castle practically whined. "If you're going to just sit there writing for five minutes, at least let me play Angry Birds." Dr. Auburn had found the sound of virtual birds whizzing through the air obnoxious as well.

She glanced back up from her notes. "You know, one would think you'd be fond of writing, considering you're a bestselling author and all," she quipped. "But don't worry, I'm done now." He sighed and sat up in his seat. He reached towards her notebook and she pulled it away. "What do you think you're doing?"

He looked at her as if it were obvious. "I'm sneaking a peek at your notes to see what's got Beckett all riled up. She's on the warpath, you know, and she wasn't like that before she went in here. So, what'd you say to her?" He reached for her book again, but this time she smacked his hand with it. "Ouch! What was _that_ for?"

"Mr. Castle," she reprimanded him, "this is _highly_ confidential information. If you even read so much as _one_ word, I could lose my license. Do you understand?" He dejectedly sunk back into his seat, looking like a sad puppy. "Now then, what exactly is your situation with Beckett?"

He paused, obviously thinking. He glanced over in the direction of Beckett's desk. "What I say will never leave this room?"

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><p>Kate was pissed. She's only been here an hour, but somehow that damn shrink has managed to completely and thoroughly piss her off. She needed more caffeine. She snatched her mug off her desk and went into the break room. Ryan and Esposito were there, watching Castle's session through the window.<p>

"Hey, Beckett, who's that with Castle?" Ryan asked, setting down his coffee.

"Dr. Melissa Auburn," Beckett replied with a slightly mocking tone, "MSW."

"MSW?"

"Shrink," Esposito informed his partner. He turned back to Beckett. "Why is she here?"

"Supposedly, to observe me and Castle's 'interactions'." She did air quotes with her fingers before picking up her now full NYPD mug.

The boys could hardly suppress their grins. "Interactions, huh?" Asked Esposito.

"What _kind_ of interactions," fueled Ryan, "is she observing, exactly?"

She glared at them over the lip of her coffee. "What do we have so far on our vic?"

"CSU found her wallet in a dumpster down the street," said Ryan,"Vic's name is Samantha Taylors, 37, lives in Brooklyn. Parents are dead, and her sister lives in Georgia. Her husband should be here soon. Should we get Castle?"

She shot daggers over at the room where her partner sat conversing with the human typewriter. "Oh, no," she sneered, "let him finish his _session_." With that, she walked back over to her desk, sat her mug down and got back to her paperwork.

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><p><strong>The vic's name, Samantha Taylors? Samantha just popped in my head, and I listen to music while I write and a Taylor Swift song came on. Taylors. Be sure to review! :)<strong>

**And by the way, do NOT expect future chapters to be up this fast! I was on a roll today, and inspiration comes and goes.**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hey! Sorry this chapter took so long, I was suffering from a long bout of writer's block. But I overcame it, and this is the finished product! **

**Basically the entire second half of the chapter is Ryan and Esposito recapping basically everything that's happened thus far. So if you've had your head under a rock since 2009, this is your chance to catch up.**

**Disclaimer: As usual, I don't own Castle, but if I did, all of Kate's boyfriends would have been beheaded by a samurai assassin as soon as they met her. ;)**

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><p>"Thank you very much, sir," Beckett said to Jonas Taylors, the victim's husband, "I promise we're doing everything we can to find the man who killed your wife. The man nodded, clearly still distraught. He left the bull pen, looking down and bumping into several people. She let out a breath of air. This was one of the hardest parts of her job; telling the victim's families their husband, their wife, their daughter, wouldn't be coming home. The people who have no one left are the hardest. Jonas was an only child, and his parents are dead as well. She <em>had<em> to solve this case, for the Taylors. She'd take on a hundred shrinks if it meant solving this case and getting justice for that couple.

She was walking back to her desk as she was thinking that and she saw Castle walk out of the conference room. Speak of the devil, Dr. Auburn followed behind, sitting back in that chair, notebook open, pen in hand. The only difference this time was that instead of studying her, like when she first walked in, it was sort of a knowing look. What did he tell her? Everything? Nothing?

He sat down next to her, silently, in case she was still mad at him. She kept typing, possibilities running through her head of what he could have told her that would make her look at her that way. She sighed; clearly there was only one way she was going to find out. Straight from the horse's mouth. "Castle, what did you say to her?"

He shot up an eyebrow in question, before replying coyly, "Now, Detective, that's _highly_ confidential information." She shot him one of her famous death glares, and his smile faded for a moment. "However, I suppose I could give you a hint." He looked around, signaled for her to lean in and then did the same. Their faces were literally inches apart. The air crackled with electricity, and he almost forgot why he was there. Luckily he remembered before Beckett got too suspicious. "You."

He quickly pulled away, but she lingered for a second, the shock on her face palpable. "You want coffee?" he stood up, taking both their mugs with him. "'Cause I could go for some Joe." She gave him a small nod, still frozen in place. He sauntered over to the break room, a satisfied grin spreading across his lips. If he could do _that_ just by leaning in close, imagine what would happen if he- Stop it. She's not yours. She has a boyfriend.

His smile faded at the mere thought of Dr. Motorcycle Boy. Right now, he was probably off in some third-world country saving babies from malaria. Jerk. Ok, so maybe it _was _for the greater good, but sometimes you need to be a little selfish. Especially if you have a girlfriend recovering from a shooting. What did she see in him, anyways? So what if he was a successful cardiac surgeon who was, he had to admit, kind of handsome and rode a motorcycle? Everyone has flaws. For example, he was never around, and he- well he was just a mean, old detective stealer, that's what he was.

He poured some coffee in both mugs and headed back to her desk. She had moved from where she was when he left, she was now staring at her computer screen, deep in thought. He could tell by her furrowed brow, something he loved about her since their first case together. He set down her coffee and looked at the screen. It was blank. "You know," she jumped at his words, "I heard it works a _lot_ better if you actually turn the monitor on." He pressed the button on the side and the screen came to life. He sat down and she turned to him.

"What did you tell her about me?" she asked him, ever-so-slightly irritated. He opened his mouth to say something, but she interrupted him. "And don't give me that 'highly confidential' crap. You _never_ follow the rules. So spill."

He put his hands up in surrender and swallowed a mouthful of coffee. "I just talked about our relationship. Or, since you obviously don't like that word, our partnership. You know, what we've been through so far. And I think she's watching us, so I'm not talking about it anymore." This gave her more to think about. Unfortunately, they've been through a lot. "Unless of course," he added in a lighter tone, "you want to take me out to lunch and bribe me to tell you."

Suddenly, she realized how hungry she was. She was never going to hear the end of this. She sighed and said, "Oh, why not? Remy's?" They stood and grabbed their jackets. She turned her monitor back off and started towards the elevator. "So, has Alexis decided on a college yet?"

He chuckled lightly and replied,"Please, it takes her twenty minutes just to decide what she wants from a takeout menu." She laughed along with him as the doors dinged open. He pressed the button for the Lobby and the doors closed again.

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"Anddddddd… closed!" Dr. Auburn thought from her perch where she has been observing the two. The elevator doors had just closed on the pair going out to lunch. Together. Alone. It was practically a date. Seriously, how are they not a couple already?

She debated on whether or not to follow them. On one hand, it would give her an opportunity to see them in a more relaxed setting. But Beckett didn't like her. At all. So if she followed, she might close off even more. Better off staying here. She could always grab some takeout with her friend the captain.

"…Dr. Auburn?" she caught the end of a sentence. It was a male voice. She turned her head towards the voice to find a strong Hispanic man with a shaved head staring at her from his desk. Captain Williams briefed her on Detective Beckett's team, and if she wasn't mistaken, and she hardly ever was, this was Detective Javier Esposito. She could see he was slightly surprised to find he was overheard from a relatively long distance. He was also slightly freaked out by her eyes. Her eyes would attract the attention of people as a teen, especially when framed by dark eyeliner. They were very dark, and there was always something mysterious about them. They could disarm just about anyone.

She turned her attention, and her disarming gaze, to his partner. He was kind of pale, short hair, blue eyes. Detective Kevin Ryan. He was just as stunned at her hearing skills and her eyes. She stood up, deciding they had had enough. As she started walking over, they quickly gathered some papers together and pretended to be busy. "Good afternoon, gentlemen," she started, gaining their attention. "I'm Dr. Melissa Auburn, MSW. I couldn't help but overhear the end of your conversation. You were talking about me?" They shook their heads.

She sat down in a nearby chair and pulled out her custom-made notebook. She grabbed her signature pink pen and clicked it open. "Now, as you've probably heard," she continued, "I'm observing Castle and Beckett's partnership. Is there anything you can tell me about the two of them? Any odd behaviors? Anything I should know about?" The two men looked at each other. Ryan rolled closer to his partner and they whispered amongst themselves, probably deciding how much to tell. They separated and looked over at her.

Esposito was the first to speak. "Why exactly should we tell you anything? Beckett's our boss, and Castle's our boy. If they wanted to tell you something, they would have." Ryan was just sitting back, looking tough, and watching this all go down.

She turned her disarming gaze into the 'tell me right now or I'll break your knees' ice-cold stare she's mastered. "You want to play hardball? All right. Two can play at that game." She said, her words dripping with venom. A crack formed in the boys' tough-guy façade. "I just so happen to know for a fact that there is a pool going to see when they'll get together, and you two are in on it. What if I were to tell you vital information on their relationship? It would certainly help you pick the right day in the pool." She raised an eyebrow.

At the mention of the pool, their eyes widened. They looked at each other and nodded. Ryan spoke. "Ok, so when he first showed up," he said,"Beckett hated his guts."

"He must have done something right, 'cause she started to like having him around." His partner picked up. "But then he messed up. Big time."

"How?" she asked, struggling to listen and write at the same time.

"He looked into her mom's case," Ryan replied. "After she specifically told him not to. So then-"

"She kicked him to the curb," Esposito interrupted, told him 'never come back, we're done'."

"But he came back anyways," she supplied.

"Right." Ryan continued, "And she let him back in."

"Things were goin' smooth until…" Esposito trailed off. She nodded, signaling him to continue. "Demming." He spat the name a little.

"What's a Demming?" She asked the boys.

"Beckett's boyfriend for a couple of weeks," Ryan answered. "It killed Castle to see them together. He didn't say anything, though."

"So, in a last-minute attempt to win her back, he asked her to his place in the Hamptons for Memorial day weekend," Esposito informed. "She turned him down, and he said-"

"He was leaving for the whole summer, maybe forever." Ryan interrupted.

"Right, so I had to talk to her. You know, clue her in to what everyone else saw," his partner confirmed. "It wasn't about the books anymore."

"So, she dumped Demming," Ryan continued, "and was just about to spill her guts to him when all of a sudden-"

"Out of nowhere, his publisher-slash-ex-wife, Gina, swoops in," Esposito cut in, "says she's going to the Hamptons with Castle. To 'stay on top of him' while he finishes his book." He did air quotes around that part.

"Then they just walk away, arm-in-arm," Ryan mocked, "leaving Beckett heartbroken and pissed."

Esposito nodded his approval and continued, "So then he doesn't call, _all summer_, and come fall, we find him _at a crime scene_."

"He was standing over the body, _with a gun_," Ryan elaborated. "Turns out, it wasn't him, but he expects all of us to just forgive him for cutting us off and hurting Beckett."

Dr. Auburn was struggling to keep up, but paused. "Wait, he's still here though. Did she just let him back in _again_?" If so, this was way bigger than she had thought.

Esposito shook his head. "Nah, they made a bet. If she won, he had to leave and never come back. But if he won, he got to sign back on as her partner. She let him win." So she did let him back in! This is huge.

"Things were great," Ryan resumed, "But then came Josh. He was the worst."

"He was a doctor, and he was always in some foreign country, helping those less fortunate. Great guy." Esposito explained, "But that was always the problem."

"Never here for her," Ryan said, "not even when she was shot. Castle finally gave him a piece of his mind. Big showdown."

"Next thing we know, he's out of the picture," Esposito continued. "No explanation, no tears, just 'we broke up'." He sighed and smiled. "Now, what's that vital, pool-winning information?"

Ryan leaned forward in his chair. "Yeah, I need that money for the wedding," Ryan sighed. "Jenny is _insisting_ on serving lobster at the reception."

Esposito looked over at him, his smile fading. "Dude, you are so whipped." He turned back to the doctor, who was now smiling deviously. "What? He is."

Dr. Auburn shook her head. "I'm sorry, guys," she said while stifling laughter, "but I am under a _strict_ confidentiality agreement. Besides, I said 'what if'. Thank you very much for your insight, though. Good luck with that pool." And with that, she snapped her notebook shut, stood up and walked away, leaving two very confused detectives in her wake.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I AM SOOOOOOO SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG! I was so unsure about this chapter when I was writing it, but I think it turned out pretty well. I can guarantee that the next chapter will be awesome. :)**

**Disclaimer: As usual, I do not own _Castle_, but if I did, Gina would've been in a horrible accident that left her face horribly disfigured. (Sorry, morbid mind. Partially why I watch this show)**

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><p>Beckett and Castle returned from lunch, smiling. She had almost forgotten about the intrusive doctor, thanks to Castle. He always knew just what to say to make her feel better, even if it was nothing at all. Unfortunately, reality seeped back in, and she was faced with a tough case and an annoying shrink. No matter how much she wanted to just stay in that world, the world where there was only her and Castle, reality <em>always<em> seeped back in. In this case it came in the form of a certain Dr. Melissa Auburn, sitting in Castle's chair, legs crossed, hands in her lap, looking as smug as ever.

Her smile faded, quickly turning into a scowl. "Oh, God," she muttered, so only Castle could hear, "what now?" They approached the doctor and she stood up, still holding that damn notebook. "Doctor, what a surprise. How can we be of assistance?" The bitterness and sarcasm in her voice was barely hidden by the fake smile she forced onto her face.

It took her a moment to respond, but when she did, she was as cool as paint. "Afternoon, Detective, Castle. I trust you enjoyed your lunch?" '_And your break away from me?_ 'She added silently. "I received some new information while you were gone. I was hoping I could steal you two away for a dual session." She raised her eyebrows and tilted her head slightly to the side.

Castle, who had been silent up until this point, spoke up. "Actually, we have a lot of work to do on this case. We really don't have the time. Sorry to disappoint." Kate looked over at him in surprise. How did he read her thoughts like that? Then again, she did practically put up a billboard that said 'Go away'. They took a step forward, but she blocked their path.

Suddenly her eyes grew cold, like Beckett's in an interrogation. "Perhaps I should rephrase my last statement, hmm?" Her voice was like an ice cold blade piercing through the relatively small space the three occupied. The pair was slightly shocked at her sudden change in her demeanor, but they gave no sign of it. "How about this? You two get your asses in the conference room, and I'll meet you there in about two minutes. 'Kay?" The pair nodded, unable to speak, both looking at her like she'd grown antlers and a third eye. "Good. Now go." Beckett stormed off, tossing her keys on her desk, Castle two steps behind. She watched the two walk away and let out a small sigh, saying lightly, to no one in particular, "Works every time."

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"I mean come on, what _was_ that?" Castle asked. The two were in the conference room, waiting for the doc to show. He was sitting in a chair and she was pacing back and forth across the room. "One minute she's all nice and considerate, and then she goes all cold and calculating. It's like this one time I-"

She interrupted him. "Castle! Can you shut your mouth for like, two seconds so I can think?" He nodded. "Thank you. Now, when she comes in here, don't tell her _anything_. Got it?" He pursed his lips and looked away from her, looking guilty. "What? Castle, what did you say to her? How much did you tell her?" Just as he was opening his mouth to say something, the door opened. "Well I guess we're about to find out."

She took her seat across from the duo and set up her notebook. "Now," the doctor began, "as I said out there, I received new information about your partnership. That's why I set up this dual session. It's kind of like couple's therapy, only… not, since, as you've told me," she looked over at Beckett, who sat stone-faced across from her, "you are _not_ a couple." She looked at her notes before sighing lightly. "Gosh, I don't even know where to start. I mean, my source was _so_ informative, you know? Ok, how about-here we go-the weeks leading up to last summer?" She looked up just as the pair across the table tensed. "Uh-huh. Perfect. Beckett, I understand you were in a relationship with Demming at this time?"

The flash of what looked like pain mixed with hate that crossed Castle's face at the mention of Kate's ex did not go unnoticed by the doctor. Beckett simply nodded. "Ok, good. And Castle, after your last day before you left for the Hamptons, you left with your ex-wife-slash-publisher Gina, correct?" Their reactions were switched exactly. Beckett showed hurt and hate, and Castle nodded. It's like they're on the same brainwave or something. They're so in sync with each other's thoughts.

The corner of her lip twitched up at the thought, threatening to smile, which would be horrible timing considering their obvious discomfort at the moment. "I see this is a touchy topic. In order to move past it, though, we need to figure out why." Silence. "The two of you can speak freely. There will be no judgments, no repercussions, and nothing you say will leave this room unless you want it to." More silence. "Okay, seriously, somebody say something. This is getting weird. And slightly creepy."

Beckett still had that hurt look on her face when she turned to Castle. His face almost instantly turned into one of concern for his partner."How could you just _leave_?"She pleaded to him in a voice that sounded… defeated.

Castle was surprised, to say the least. What happened to his bad-ass 'don't say anything' detective? Did he really have the ability to turn Kate, who could scare _drug lords_, into the sad, broken woman before him? He swore he would never do anything to hurt h- wait a minute. Just a minute. Did she just wink? She did! What was she up to? Whatever it is, he might as well play along. "I-I'm sorry," he stuttered. "I just figured since you were with Demming you wouldn't mind if I moved on." Just because they were acting, it didn't mean he couldn't get some useable information out of her.

On any other occasion she would've changed the subject or walked away, but for now, she had to stay in character. She offered a small smile and said softly, "Castle, by now you should know that you're more than just my partner. You're my friend."

He lightly scoffed and muttered "Yeah, your friend. That and a dollar get me a cup of coffee at McDonald's."

Her smile vanished from her features and was quickly replaced by frustration. "Well what do you want me to say? You're one of my best friends and I l-" she hesitated "care about you." That 'l' sound would make good shrink bait. Yeah, shrink bait. That's why she almost said... Oh, crap. That would be even better Castle bait. He knows they're acting, right?

He leaned towards her and she didn't pull away. "Is that really all we are, Kate?" he asked her. He scoffed and sat back in his seat. "Who am I kidding? You wouldn't even admit it to yourself, let alone me. Just go back to your perfect doctor-boyfriend and your loveless relationship." At that moment, he wasn't acting anymore. He didn't care if she kicked him out and never talked to him again. He had to say this.

Kate grew even more frustrated. Her hands balled into fists and her jaw tensed. "We broke up weeks ago." she hissed through clenched teeth. "I was waiting for the right time to tell you."

The silence that inevitably followed was deafening. It lasted an eternity before someone finally spoke. "Wow," said Dr. Auburn, causing the two across the table to jump. They had forgotten she was there. "Can I just say? Very informative. Wow."

"Glad you enjoyed it," Castle spat, standing up and grabbing his jacket. "I'm out of here." He stormed out of the room, leaving a stunned doctor and an even more pissed detective behind. He couldn't believe the events that had just transpired in the span of five minutes. He didn't care that Ryan and Esposito were staring at him making a beeline for the elevator. He tuned out Kate's voice when she was yelling at him that he was being unreasonable. He didn't care. He had to get out.

A uniform came out of the elevator as he was heading towards it. He picked up his pace to catch it, too focused on his goal to notice Kate was following, much slower, and Dr. Auburn was watching from the conference room door. He got in the elevator just as it was closing and pressed the Lobby button. Through the crack in the closing doors, he saw Kate's look of desperation and Dr. Auburn's cold, blank stare. The corner of her lip twisted up in some sort of sick smirk. The overall effect made it look like she was saying, "Welcome to Hell."

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><p><strong>Yeah, in case you haven't noticed, I took the doctor's notes out of the previous chapters. I didn't like it. So to new readers, you'll never know what Castle talked about in his session. Ha! <strong>

**And by the by, the awesome next chapter was inspired by another fic I read earlier today. If I could remember who wrote it, I would give them credit, but I can't so... Anyways, I'm gonna give you a hint. **

**It has to do with a lie detector. You'll get nothing more out of me! ;D**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Hm. How strange. Opening day hits for chapter 3: 1.17 K. Opening day hits for chapter 4: About 300. What's up with that?**

**Any-who, here's the new chapter. I know I promised a lie detector test, but the inspiration for that idea was short-lived. I had intended for this chapter to be longer, but writing it has been really hard lately. And as much as I _hate_ to say this, I start my freshman year in 2 days. I'm really _really_ excited, but the chapters are probably gonna come even slower. I will _not_ abandon this story, though. Never. I finish what I start. **

**Take note of the 'T' rating. It's probably nothing, but I'm just being safe. Enough of my rantings and ravings, on with the show!**

**Disclaimer: I would think we'd all know this by now, but I don't own _Castle_. Don't rub it in...**

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><p><em>You have three new messages. First message.<em>

"_Castle, you're being ridiculous. The reason I didn't tell you is because I knew you would react like this. Now quit being a baby and come back so we can talk about this."_

_To erase this message, press sev-Message erased. You have two new messages. First message._

"_Rick, please pick up. I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner, I really should have. Just please call me back, or come in to the precinct or something so we can talk this out."_

_To erase this mess- Message erased. You have one new message._

Rick hated to hear Kate upset, but maybe some more of her groveling would make him feel better. When he heard the voice on the other side, though, he nearly dropped his phone.

"_Castle? It's me, Dr. Auburn. Captain Williams gave me your number. Listen, Beckett's really torn up about this whole thing. She's not herself. It's like the pod people came and sucked out her brain, leaving just an empty shell of the woman she once was. Sorry, just playing up the drama of the moment. Look, even if you don't call her or come back in today, come in tomorrow. If you don't, it'll only get worse. Besides, you left your sunglasses on her desk. I'm sure you're gonna want those back. See you tomorrow."_

_To erase this message, press seven. To save this message, press five. To replay…_

He pressed end and put his phone on his desk. It was dark out and he was sitting in his office, hiding from his mother. She would be home from rehearsal soon enough, and the last thing he wanted was to explain why he was home early. It had been hours since he stormed out, but he was normally home from the precinct much later than this. What was he supposed to do? After an exit like that, he couldn't just waltz in and act like nothing happened.

The good doctor did have a point, though. Kate didn't sound like herself in her last message. Too sad. He had a feeling he really hurt her this time. He heard a knock at the front door, and got up to answer it. 'Mother must have forgotten her key,' he thought, now standing in front of the door. He opened it and standing on the other side was a slightly disheveled Kate Beckett.

Not what he was expecting. "Kate," he said. No emotion, no surprise, just a level-headed greeting. She offered a small nod in return. "Won't you come in?" He stepped aside and opened the door a little further so she could step in. She entered the loft and began to shrug off her coat. He helped her out of it, and his fingers lightly brushed her arms, setting her nerve endings on fire.

"Castle, I'm just gonna cut to the chase," she started, trying to shake the wonderful feeling that was threatening to spread through her. She turned to him and continued, "I'm sorry, okay? I'm really, really sorry. I should've told you sooner, but I didn't. Am I forgiven?"

He pretended to ponder her question for a while. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?" he asked her. She sighed, and he continued "No, no really. Why? You said on the phone it was because you knew I would react like this, but that doesn't make any sense." He began to pace in the hallway. "See, if you told me right away, I wouldn't be upset you didn't tell me sooner. So what was it, Kate?" He stopped pacing and looked in her eyes. "You know you can trust me with anything. You even told Ryan and Esposito. So why not me?"

She bit her bottom lip and took a seat on his couch. He quickly followed, sitting next to her and placing his hand on her leg. "I just... don't know," she sighed, looking over at him. "I mean, I'm sure I had a reason, but... There were several times when I just thought to myself, 'Ok, I'm gonna tell him now' but I couldn't. And I know you deserve a better reason than that, but I just don't have one. I'm sorry."

He smiled at her. "Yes, you're forgiven," he said softly. It was then they realized their close proximity. Kate was slightly startled, but she didn't pull away. The same electricity that was present earlier was back full-force. She stared into his eyes, lost in the depth of color. They leaned towards each other and his eyes flicked down to her lips.

They met in the middle in a tender but passionate kiss. Her hands went up to cup either side of his face. A million thoughts were running through his head at that moment, but as she parted her lips to deepen the kiss, they were all swept away. Their tongues fought for dominance and her hands went from his face to his chest. One thing that stood out in his fogged-up mind was that it was going to be a long night. Not that he minded, of course.

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

Kate woke up to the sound of her phone ringing. She reached over to the nightstand, but something heavy on her chest was holding her back. She looked down and realized it was an arm, the arm attached to a certain writer. She smiled and gently lifted his arm so she could reach her phone. The clock at the top of the screen read 5:38 AM. There was no caller ID, but the number looked familiar, so she picked up. "Beckett."

"Kate," a very familiar voice said. Josh. "I need to talk to you."

She lied back down and put her arm across her forehead in exasperation. "Josh, it's five thirty in the morning," she sighed, speaking at a relatively low volume so as not to wake Castle. "What could possibly be so important? Is someone I know hurt?"

There was a small pause on the other side. "Yes, Kate. I am. I want to give us another chance." He laughed slightly. "God, did that sound as cheesy as I thought it did?"

She wasn't amused. "Yeah, it was. Listen, we've been over for _weeks_. I've moved on. I think it's time you did too. And next time, when you want to get back together with an ex, don't call her at _five freaking thirty_!" She hung up and put the phone back on her nightstand. She exhaled slowly, assessing what just happened.

She shook her head and made a mental note to have his number blocked. She snuggled back in with Rick, but she didn't make an effort to go back to sleep. She savored the feeling of being cocooned by his strong arms. After a while, though, her lids grew heavy and the steady sound of Rick's breathing lulled her back to sleep.

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

At exactly 7:30, Rick's alarm clock went off. He had another one of those Kate dreams last night, a really detailed one this time. He crawled out of bed, hitting the snooze button on the way up. He pulled on a robe and headed into the kitchen to make some breakfast. Kate dreams were becoming more frequent nowadays, some good, some bad, some incredibly hot. The one he had last night was an incredibly hot one, so much so he didn't want to wake up.

Upon entering the kitchen, he noticed something on the counter. As he got closer, he realized it was a plate of scrambled eggs, complete with bacon, underneath a plastic cover. On top, there was a note written in very flowy, smooth handwriting:

_Rick,_

_Had to go back to my apartment to change for work, didn't want to show up in the same clothes. I made breakfast, and, depending on the time you finally wake up, the coffee in the pot should still be good. You're welcome. See you at the precinct._

_-Kate_

It wasn't a dream. Kate really was here. That means they... "Yes!" he exclaimed, suddenly glad Alexis was staying at a friend's last night. He grabbed a fork from the clean side of the sink and sat down in front of the covered plate. Steam rose from the meal as he removed the cover, along with the delicious smell of bacon that made his mouth water in anticipation of what should be a very good start to a very good day.

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

When Beckett stepped off the elevator that morning, she was greeted by a very welcome sight. No shrink. She had to restrain herself from doing a happy dance right there in the middle of the precinct and instead settled for a small, hidden fist pump. She walked over to her desk and saw a small, folded-up note sitting on her keyboard. As she unfolded it, she noticed it was written in pink pen.

_Did you really think you could get rid of me that easily? I'm in the conference room. _

She crumpled up the note and let it fall from her hand and land on her desk with a small 'smack'. "Damn," she muttered under her breath.

"What?" The voice behind her made her jump. She turned to see Castle standing behind her, holding their usual coffees. "Sorry," he weakly apologized, handing her a coffee. She smiled devilishly and graciously accepted it. As he sat down, she took a sip and didn't even try to suppress her moan this time. He gazed at her, knowing she knew _exactly_ what she was doing to him. "You're an evil, evil woman, Kate Beckett."

Her smile grew slightly more and her eyes got that glint in them that she reserved just for him and their banter. She simply set her coffee down in its usual spot by her keyboard and said to him in her best cop voice, "And don't you forget it."

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><p><strong>Now, I wasn't sure if I wanted to go through with the whole "they hook up" thing, but I had a feeling that if Kate went to his house and they had one of their "hey-maybe-something-will-happen-here" moments and they <em>didn't <em>hook up, you all would track me down and eat me alive. And I'd prefer not to be eaten. That would suck.**

**Please review! I'm practically begging here. I'm having _sooo_ much trouble writing this. As I said before, I won't give up, but I could use some reviews. And I would like a better response than last time!**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: HELLO, FINE PEOPLE! :D I'm baaaaaack!**

I have done something awful. I kept you waiting for the longest time, and now that I've returned, I give you this itty-bitty chapter? Ugh! It's terrible! Oh, well. Enjoy the tiny chapter. Hopefully there will be more soon.

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><p><em>Previously on Only Here to Watch: Dr. Auburn makes Castle storm out, Kate goes to his house to apologize and they hook up. Josh calls Kate at 5:30 am to beg forgiveness, but Kate turns him down.<em>

Just then, the good doctor strolled over, wearing a similar outfit to the one she wore yesterday, only the blazer and jacket were gray, her shirt was light beige, and her hair fell loose in waves to her shoulders. She carried two boxes in her hand, one larger than the other. They were wrapped in crème paper and a tidy black bow that looked professionally done. When she saw Castle sitting in his usual chair, she smiled to herself.

"Good morning Detective, Mr. Castle." The two looked over at her, the remnants of ice in their eyes from the previous day's events chilling her core. "Um, I just wanted to apologize for yesterday. I realize we got off on the wrong foot, and I may have pushed a little too far." At Beckett's raised eyebrow she added, "Okay, I definitely pushed too far. I know this probably won't change your minds, but I figured it couldn't hurt." She looked at the boxes in her hands and handed one to Beckett and one to Castle.

Tearing open the smaller box, Kate found a silver necklace with a handcuff clasp. It wasn't really her style, but something about it just appealed to her. Castle took the kid-on-Christmas-Eve approach, placing the box close to his ear and gently shaking it. He opened it quickly and found a copy of a book that looked German. Opening the front cover, he saw that it was a fake book with a large cache in it.

The two looked up to a smiling doctor. "Okay?" When they continued to stare, emotionless, she continued, "You may be thinking this is some clever, twisted ploy to get into your heads and then crush you from the inside out, but I assure you, my intentions are pure. That was way too detailed, wasn't it? Okay, um, let me start over. I..." she trailed off as she met their amused gazes. "Yeah, great. Ha ha, real funny. Let's turn the shrink into a babbling idiot. I swear, I don't know what I'm gonna do with you two..."

As she turned and began to walk away, Castle leaned in towards Beckett and muttered, "Seems as though the 'begging for forgiveness' fever is going around." To which she smirked and lightly hit him in the arm. Upon hearing this, Auburn paused mid-stride. She turned slowly and smirked. "Beckett. You're up first. Come with me." Beckett looked over at Castle, who was pretending to study the ceiling. She sighed and followed the doctor to Conference Room A.

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Pink ink flowed in messy, hurried handwriting across the page, stating that it was Day 2, approximately eight o'clock. The doctor looked up to a slightly peeved Beckett, nervously but silently tapping her right index finger on the table while her left hand held her coffee. She looked into the detective's eyes, picking up slight annoyance, a slight caffeine buzz, and-could it be?-a strong feeling of love. Zooming out, she noticed she had a slight glow about her, and a lack of sleep could be seen below her eyes. Beckett took a sip of her coffee and Auburn, maintaining a perfect poker face, quickly asked, "You slept with Castle last night, didn't you?"

Across the table, Beckett coughed and sputtered, nearly choking on her coffee. Once she could breathe again, she exclaimed, "What! How could you make that assumption? Just because we work together doesn't mean that we just jump into bed together the first chance we..." She looked at the doctor and sighed. "Is it really that obvious?"

Years of drama club paid off as Auburn flawlessly stifled a laugh. "To the trained eye? Yes, I'm afraid so." Kate sighed at this and flopped back in her chair. "However, as I've stated before, nothing you say will leave this room unless you want it to. And something tells me you wouldn't want anyone to find that out."

She continued, "Besides, to the _un_trained eye, it's practically invisible."


	7. Chapter 7 & Epilogue

**Hello, dearies! I've returned! Did you miss me? Good, because I learned a lot while I was gone.**

**First and foremost, I read the infamous Harry Potter fic My Immortal. Oh dear God. I had no idea that Mary Sue had a negative connotation, but now I see the dark side (geddit? cuz she's goffic!). Second, I do my best writing when Castle is not putting out new episodes. The real show interferes with the version in my head, and I get confused.**

**Also, as I'm sure you've guessed, this is the end. Why? _Because I freaking hate this story_. I'm not even kidding. Somehow I managed to wrap it up without destroying the show's good name. **

**And hey, since this is the end, go read my other, _much_ _much _better story _New York City_. Seriously. I actually like that one. It's really good, and it needs love.**

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><p><em>Previously on OHTW...<em>

_..."I may have pushed a little too far." At Beckett's raised eyebrow she added, "Okay, I definitely pushed too far. I know this probably won't change your minds, but I figured it couldn't hurt." She looked at the boxes in her hands and handed one to Beckett and one to Castle."_

_... Beckett took a sip of her coffee and Auburn, maintaining a perfect poker face, quickly asked, "You slept with Castle last night, didn't you?"_

_... She continued, "Besides, to the untrained eye, it's practically invisible."_

"Now," Auburn continued, "I can assume by the reappearance of your shadow, that the rain clouds have cleared, so to speak." Beckett nodded and explained, "Yes, we made up. Now I guess he can be on his way." When the other woman just stared, she continued. "I mean, that's all he was after, right? Just another notch for his bedpost."

"What?" the doctor was staring at her, slack jawed. "You're kidding. You're _so_ kidding!" She had a slight grin on her face, but it faded when she saw Beckett's very serious face and eyes. "Oh my gosh. You're not kidding. You really think that to him you're nothing but a good time?"

At this point, she had stopped writing and closed her notebook. "Okay, let's review, shall we? He's been following you around for several years now, he's saved your life on multiple occasions, and let's not forget the fact that he was willing to jump in front of a _bullet_ for you. You must really doubt his character. He loves you, Kate." Beckett's eyes widened at the mention of the l-word, but she didn't say anything. "You might not be willing to accept it, but it's true. _No_ man would stick around someone as high-maintenance as you for four years _just_ so he could get her in bed. If that's what it was about, he would've left by the end of week one."

Beckett sat quietly while the doctor found her place in her notebook. She was aware of the beginnings of a monster headache. She closed her eyes and rubbed at her temples to try and soothe it away, but as she did, she experienced something strange.

_She could feel herself lying on cool grass, and the air was warm. Her scar ached, and she looked down to find herself in her dress uniform, bleeding out. Castle was above her, pleading her to stay with him. She felt the need to tell him that she was fine, but she couldn't make her mouth work. Then Castle said something she never thought she'd hear. "Kate, I love you," he practically whispered, "I love you, Kate."_

She opened her eyes and saw nothing but a nearly empty conference room. She regained her surroundings and recalled those words. _I love you._ She remembered. That warm summer day. The shooting. His words and the emotion behind them. Her heart leaped in her chest and she quickly stood, nearly knocking her chair onto the floor. She turned to the door and opened it, ignoring Dr. Auburn's calls.

She fast-walked over to her partner, who stood as she approached him. Taking his face between her hands, she spoke softly saying two words. "I remember."

**Epilogue**

Dr. Auburn left the next day, claiming her work was done. "Two clients cured in twenty-four hours. That's gotta be a record."

Captain Williams had received an offer she couldn't refuse in Chicago, so she called in an old colleague from Internal Affairs to take over the twelfth precinct. Some woman named Gates.

Martha, Alexis, Ryan and Esposito were filled in on Rick and Kate's new relationship status. A few months and several sleepovers later, Kate was asked to move in with the Castle clan.

And they all lived Happily Ever After.


End file.
